Wake Me Up When the Sun Rises, chapter 5
Our laughter mingled together and echoed off the high ceilings of Joey's foyer. I still had my hand linked with his and he pulled me further into his house. He dragged me backwards into the living room and I fell on top of him as the back of his foot collided with a huge couch. We stayed like that for a few moments, gazing into each others eyes until someone cleared their throat. I fell off of him, startled, and turned to see Billie Joe, Mike and Tre all sitting down with the TV droning lightly in the back round. I blushed profusely and wiped my long brown hair out of my eyes.
"Uhmm Hi!" I said quietly. All three had identical grins on their faces, like the Cheshire cat from Alice and Wonderland.
"Hello" said Billie, his hands clasped together under his mouth.
"Ooooh what is going on here?" asked Tre smiling. "This looks mighty conspicuous."
"Oh you know just goofing off!" said Joey lightly, blushing as much as I was. "Well I think we'll go upstairs.
"Uh-huh, don't have too much fun up there kiddos, don't wanna be granpappy Tre just yet!" Said Tre jokingly. I still blushed profusely as Joey pulled me away. The three men's laughter rang through the living room. Up the stairs and down a long, high ceilinged hallway, Joey let go of my hand and showed me through a white door with JOEY in big black letters painted grimly a crossed it. I gasped as he closed the door behind him and I got a better look at the massive room. It was easily as big as the kitchen. Two of the walls were painted black, one was dark green and the last one was lime green colored. Every inch of one of the black walls was covered in various posters, pictures, concert tickets and a few CD pamphlets. There was no actual ceiling fixture to provide light but there were four or five lamps with Green Day lamp shades scattered in various corners of the room. He had a king sized bed that had discarded school books messily strewn on top of it, the bed itself was unmade. In one of the corners lay an amplifier with a black fender Stratocaster laying across it. The carpet was black with green mixed in it. There were two windows each of which had green shades that kept out most of the light. And there was a special plexi-glass case with at least 14 guitars displayed in it.
"Oh my god!" I whispered in awe.
"D'you like it?" he asked coming up behind me and grabbing me by the shoulders.
"This is THE most kick ass room I have ever seen in my life!" I said. He laughed lightly and jumped up on the bed. "glad you like it. My parents didn't really give a rat's left ass cheek how I decorated it so..." he motioned around with one arm as if to say, this is what I got.
I sat on the bed next to him. "It's awesome! You must have some pretty cool parents.
He looked at me as if to say obviously. I stood up and walked over to the fender strat laying on the amp. I picked it up, holding it gingerly, and examined it neck to body. "Nice." I whispered.
"It was a gift from my mom and dad last birthday." I came back to the bed with it and sat down.
"Can I" He nodded and I cradled the guitar on my lap. I struck a note and listed to it come almost inaudibly from the guitar. He handed me the amp chord and I plucked it in, turning down the volume. The same note hummed beautifully from the amp. I struck another and started into Wake Me Up When September Ends. I placed the guitar back down when I finished it after admiring it for a moment more.
"You play really well." He said sitting up and motioning for me to sit next to him. I smiled in spite of myself and obliged the pat on the bed. He wrapped his arm around me and pulled me backwards as he lay back. I rested my head on his chest, waiting for the silence to be broken. For a while it wasn't. And then..
"Tell me something you've never told anyone before." He said, nuzzling his face in my hair. It was more of a request than a demand. I thought for a moment before sighing.
"Well what do you wanna know Joe?" I asked, he laughed softly at my pun.
"What.. Well what's the one thing you want more than anything else in this world?" he asked. I thought and then said with a careful tone.
"A dad..." no response. "one that doesn't resent me. A dad that will take care of me for always and love me no matter what I do. One who's gonna hug me when I'm scared or hurt and not make me feel worse by slapping the shit out of me." my heart quickened and I began to go slightly hysterical. I felt tears sliding down my cheeks as years of pain gushed out to this person whom I'd only known for a few days. "I just wanna know that everything I do isn't fucked as soon as I do them. I wannt.. I need somebody to reassure me that I'm ok, that I'm not a complete and utter fuck up. I cant go through life with someone who hates me for everything, I cant live like that. I.. I'll just die!" I said jumping up and startling him to life. He jumped up with me and grabbed my wrists, pulling me into his chest. He wrapped me tight, so tight and comfortingly, in his arms and I broke. I was wracked with sobs and pain as I curled my arms up and rested the palms of my hands on his chest.
I felt myself unconsciously being pulled back into a sitting position on his bed. He cooed to me and told me it was ok to cry and let it all out. "I need you to tell me that everything will be ok! I need that Joey!" I cried into his chest, he was silent for only a moment.
"Everything is going to be alright. I'm going to make it alright because you deserve that Tori. I'm gonna do whatever I can for you. I love you." He said, kissing me on the top of the head. He pulled me back into a laying position and comforted me until I fell asleep, knowing I could somehow trust him and believing it was going to be ok for the first time in my life.
*Later*
I heard Joey's door open, someone whisper, and then the door closed again. I opened my eyes, feeling warm and cozy, still snuggled into the crook of Joeys arm. His eyes were open and staring at the door when I looked up at him. They snapped down to me and he smiled, kissing my forehead. "Hey, how you doing?"
"Better, thank you. I don't know what I'd do without you. You know you've already saved me twice!" I said and he smiled again. I yawned and stretched slightly, not wanting his arm to slide off of me. I knew somehow he wouldn't let that happen anyways. "Who was it that came in?"
"Mom, she says dinner's ready and you're most welcome to stay if you'd like." I looked at my wrist, startled by the news that it was already dinner time.
"Dinner! Holy shit, how long have I been asleep?"
"About four and a half hours, sleeping beauty." he said grinning cheekily to me.
"Joey, why didn't you wake me up? I made you miss lunch and everything! Aren't you even hungry?"
"A little." he admitted and then shrugged. "but I didn't really mind. I think I might've fallen asleep for a while anyways and I didn't want to wake you." I sat up and rubbed my lower back.
"That's sweet but I wish you would've. Well I'm hungry now too, so let's not keep everyone waiting." I stood up pulling him with me. "I'm sure Tre's having a fit imagining what we could've been doing up here for five hours." I said pulling him out of his room as he laughed.
It was immediately obvious that the four adults had been talking about either me or me and Joey because Adrienne shushed them all as we approached the kitchen/dining room. I rounded the corner to the three men trying and failing to look like they'd be doing something un-interesting only a moment before.
"Hey Tori, Joey. What've you guys been up to?" asked Tre, his eyes sparkling with mock benevolence.
"Nothing." I said truthfully, (unless you count by mental breakdown).
"Oh is that what they call it these days! You know we're not as stupid as we look!" he said jokingly receiving a smile from Billie Joe and Mike.
"I'll disregard that. What have you been doing? Other than talking about what Joey and I have "potentially" been doing upstairs away from your ever watchful eye?" I asked and it was my turn to grin as the smile slid off of Tre's face, as well as Billie's and Mike's. Joey laughed as I continued. "We're not as stupid as we look either!" Tre's grin reappeared as he started laughing. I smiled and sat down next to Joey knowing the rest of the night would be light spirited, not to mention hilarious as all hell with Tre having something to joke about.
*After dinner*
I pushed away my plate and groaned: I had eaten WAY to much! I held my stomach as Joey finished his meal and laughed lightly at me. "Shut up!" I mumbled, rubbing my stomach.
"Eye's too big for your tummy there, Tori?" asked Tre, finishing off his fifth plate of food. I moaned again as my stomach lurched.
"Much to big, it was wonderful Adrienne." I added, trying to be polite. "thanks for letting me stay for dinner."
"No problem, hun. And please, call me Adie!" I nodded. Jakob started whining that he was tired then and Adie, dismissed herself to put him to bed. "I'll see you later Tori, it was good having you for dinner." She said as she carried Jake up the stairs.
"Thanks again Adie." I called and she waved a hand. Mike stretched and yawned as well.
"Aww shit man!" he said rubbing his eyes. "I think I'm gonna head out too man, I'm wasted! I'll see you guys tomorrow." He said and Billie nodded. He turned towards me. "See you soon Tori. Do you want a lift home?" he asked as he turned to leave. I shook my head.
'No I think I'm gonna walk, it's nice out so.." Billie, Tre, and Mike all opened their mouths to protest but Joey spoke up first.
"I'm walking with her. You know, so she doesn't get abducted or some shit." he said, Billie nodded and smiled as I waved good bye to him and Tre. We said good bye to Mike at his car and he honked his horn as he drove by.
The air was warm and refreshing on my bare arms. I sighed, happy to be outside walking off my dinner. I felt his arm wrap around me and he pulled me closer to him. I grinned into the dark, feeling happy for the first time in a long time. "I had a good time tonight, you know, since I wasn't being interrogated about my home life." I said. He laughed and I joined in, (our laughs really did sound good mingled together).
Before I knew it we were at the end of my shabby lawn. I stopped and pulled myself around so I could face him, my hands linked with his like when I kissed him earlier that day. "What you said earlier, when I was freaking out.. Did you mean it? Or was it spur of the moment?"
He answered almost immediately. "I meant it with my whole heart! I know we haven't known each other that long but.. I feel so good when I'm with you and just joking around. I don't know if you feel that same but I don't think I could lie to you even just to comfort you, you know?" He said, never breaking eye contact with me. I smiled at him and hugged him tight.
"I feel that way too Joey. I've been hurt before, and I don't mean by my dad. I don't think I could go through that pain and humiliation again!" I admitted as we broke apart. He stroked my chin tenderly and kissed me deeply on the lips.
"I could never hurt you! Never, Tori. I love you." He whispered against my cheek, sending shivers down my spine. I hugged him again and whispered good bye. He blew a kiss before blending into the shadows and I bit my lip. I paused at my doorway, and I thought I saw a shadow walking around the corner that could've been him. I giggled and sighed as I stepped through the door. The light clicked on as I stepped in, washing me in the harsh light.
He was drunk; I knew it before I even saw him. The air in the foyer and living room reeked of stale liquor mingled with cheap bear and potentially some pot as I turned the corner. There he was, sitting in all his white trash glory on the lazy boy like some kind of damn throne for drunken assholes. He stood up and tottered, almost falling, and started towards me. Before I could turn and try to get away, his huge hand wrapped around my hair and pulled me back, like the big guy had the day Joey had saved me. He growled into my ear. "Late again? Two nights in a row. You been whoring around or something?" His words slurred together and he sounded like some Neanderthal from the stone age. For the first time, I felt hatred overpower my fear of him. "Just like your mother you dirty little tramp!" He said and I felt shocked that he had even spoken about my mother. He threw me away like a rag doll and my thigh collided painfully with our coffee table.
I cried out in pain and tossed my hands out to break my fall. He shook the floor as he lumbered toward me and kicked me in the ass, sending me splaying on the carpet. I got to my knees and quickly to my feet before he could land another blow to my butt. I turned and felt red hot fury the sized of a small skillet lash across my face as he slapped me. My teeth punctured the soft tissue of my mouth and I felt the warm iron tasting blood flow from it. My already bruised eye was throbbing and I staggered slightly on my feet. Grabbing me roughly by the shoulders, he slammed me against the nearest wall. I felt the plaster behind my head crack and the headache I'd already had intensified by ten. I slid to the floor again and he turned around, taking another swig of vodka.
Only inched from my hand was and abandoned beer bottle, the glass kind. Without thinking or any he'sitation, I grabbed the bottle by the narrow neck, hiding it behind my back and waiting for the opportune moment to pass. As reliable as ever, the man I knew as my father grabbed me by the neck and lifted me right off the fucking ground. I felt lightheaded as the air left my lungs. Better do it before he kills me! I thought and lifted my arm above my head as the room swam in front of me.
If he hadn't been drunk, I'm sure his reflexes would have been fast enough to grab my arm and stop me. Thank goodness God had chosen to be kind to me today. I swung my arm down with all my might and brought the bottle across my own dad's head. It made dull thunk the first time and actually shattered when I brought it across his head the second time. He dropped me and then fell like a ton of lead. Only a moment to catch my breath and then he started moving again.
His hand groped feebly for my ankle as I ran by. I should've gone straight out the door but I turned and ran up the stairs instead. I wanted to grab my cell phone and Joeys number off of my bed stand. As I got to the top of the stairs I realized, terrified, he was already up and at the bottom of them, chasing me into a corner like a cat and mouse.
I remembered my door didn't have a lock as I closed it and decided my dressed would have to do. I pushed it as hard as I could, grunting with effort. It fell across the door and slammed it shut again just as my father had been opening it. I screamed and ran to my night stand. Grabbing my cell, that mercifully still had two bars of battery, and the slip of paper Billie Joe had written his phone number on. I screamed once more as my father beat on the door. The wood made a dull crack and splintered. He was yelling deliriously and I realized I had no choice; I'd have to jump out of my second story window, but that was better than being beaten to death, I guess.
I crossed the room in three big steps and yanked the window open, my adrenaline pumping strongly with the will to get out of this with minimal damage. Sticking one foot out the window, I heard the door splinter some more and gasped and a large chunk came out of it. My father's angry face appeared and disappeared as I jumped down. I heard my ankle gibe a sickening crunch as I landed and crumpled to the ground. I clutched it as my dad appeared at my window and howled with rage. He vanished and I got up as fast as I could hobbling in the only direction I knew would be safe; Billie Joe's house.
I cried with each step I took on my injured ankle but made it out of site as my dad opened the front door. I watched from the shadows as my dad got in the car and swerved down the road in the opposite direction. I cried with relief and got on my way again. About halfway there, in front of a relatively new jungle gym, I collapsed again.
I whimpered as I crawled to the slide and hid under it in case my dad decided to come this way. I pulled out my cell phone, which miraculously hadn't been crushed, and dialed in Joey's number.
It rang once; please pick up! Twice; please oh god PLEASE! Three Times then; "Hello?"
"Joey?" I asked.
"Yeah! Tori? What's wrong." he asked, sounding concerned. I sobbed into the phone.
"Can you come get me?"
"Uhmm Hi!" I said quietly. All three had identical grins on their faces, like the Cheshire cat from Alice and Wonderland.
"Hello" said Billie, his hands clasped together under his mouth.
"Ooooh what is going on here?" asked Tre smiling. "This looks mighty conspicuous."
"Oh you know just goofing off!" said Joey lightly, blushing as much as I was. "Well I think we'll go upstairs.
"Uh-huh, don't have too much fun up there kiddos, don't wanna be granpappy Tre just yet!" Said Tre jokingly. I still blushed profusely as Joey pulled me away. The three men's laughter rang through the living room. Up the stairs and down a long, high ceilinged hallway, Joey let go of my hand and showed me through a white door with JOEY in big black letters painted grimly a crossed it. I gasped as he closed the door behind him and I got a better look at the massive room. It was easily as big as the kitchen. Two of the walls were painted black, one was dark green and the last one was lime green colored. Every inch of one of the black walls was covered in various posters, pictures, concert tickets and a few CD pamphlets. There was no actual ceiling fixture to provide light but there were four or five lamps with Green Day lamp shades scattered in various corners of the room. He had a king sized bed that had discarded school books messily strewn on top of it, the bed itself was unmade. In one of the corners lay an amplifier with a black fender Stratocaster laying across it. The carpet was black with green mixed in it. There were two windows each of which had green shades that kept out most of the light. And there was a special plexi-glass case with at least 14 guitars displayed in it.
"Oh my god!" I whispered in awe.
"D'you like it?" he asked coming up behind me and grabbing me by the shoulders.
"This is THE most kick ass room I have ever seen in my life!" I said. He laughed lightly and jumped up on the bed. "glad you like it. My parents didn't really give a rat's left ass cheek how I decorated it so..." he motioned around with one arm as if to say, this is what I got.
I sat on the bed next to him. "It's awesome! You must have some pretty cool parents.
He looked at me as if to say obviously. I stood up and walked over to the fender strat laying on the amp. I picked it up, holding it gingerly, and examined it neck to body. "Nice." I whispered.
"It was a gift from my mom and dad last birthday." I came back to the bed with it and sat down.
"Can I" He nodded and I cradled the guitar on my lap. I struck a note and listed to it come almost inaudibly from the guitar. He handed me the amp chord and I plucked it in, turning down the volume. The same note hummed beautifully from the amp. I struck another and started into Wake Me Up When September Ends. I placed the guitar back down when I finished it after admiring it for a moment more.
"You play really well." He said sitting up and motioning for me to sit next to him. I smiled in spite of myself and obliged the pat on the bed. He wrapped his arm around me and pulled me backwards as he lay back. I rested my head on his chest, waiting for the silence to be broken. For a while it wasn't. And then..
"Tell me something you've never told anyone before." He said, nuzzling his face in my hair. It was more of a request than a demand. I thought for a moment before sighing.
"Well what do you wanna know Joe?" I asked, he laughed softly at my pun.
"What.. Well what's the one thing you want more than anything else in this world?" he asked. I thought and then said with a careful tone.
"A dad..." no response. "one that doesn't resent me. A dad that will take care of me for always and love me no matter what I do. One who's gonna hug me when I'm scared or hurt and not make me feel worse by slapping the shit out of me." my heart quickened and I began to go slightly hysterical. I felt tears sliding down my cheeks as years of pain gushed out to this person whom I'd only known for a few days. "I just wanna know that everything I do isn't fucked as soon as I do them. I wannt.. I need somebody to reassure me that I'm ok, that I'm not a complete and utter fuck up. I cant go through life with someone who hates me for everything, I cant live like that. I.. I'll just die!" I said jumping up and startling him to life. He jumped up with me and grabbed my wrists, pulling me into his chest. He wrapped me tight, so tight and comfortingly, in his arms and I broke. I was wracked with sobs and pain as I curled my arms up and rested the palms of my hands on his chest.
I felt myself unconsciously being pulled back into a sitting position on his bed. He cooed to me and told me it was ok to cry and let it all out. "I need you to tell me that everything will be ok! I need that Joey!" I cried into his chest, he was silent for only a moment.
"Everything is going to be alright. I'm going to make it alright because you deserve that Tori. I'm gonna do whatever I can for you. I love you." He said, kissing me on the top of the head. He pulled me back into a laying position and comforted me until I fell asleep, knowing I could somehow trust him and believing it was going to be ok for the first time in my life.
*Later*
I heard Joey's door open, someone whisper, and then the door closed again. I opened my eyes, feeling warm and cozy, still snuggled into the crook of Joeys arm. His eyes were open and staring at the door when I looked up at him. They snapped down to me and he smiled, kissing my forehead. "Hey, how you doing?"
"Better, thank you. I don't know what I'd do without you. You know you've already saved me twice!" I said and he smiled again. I yawned and stretched slightly, not wanting his arm to slide off of me. I knew somehow he wouldn't let that happen anyways. "Who was it that came in?"
"Mom, she says dinner's ready and you're most welcome to stay if you'd like." I looked at my wrist, startled by the news that it was already dinner time.
"Dinner! Holy shit, how long have I been asleep?"
"About four and a half hours, sleeping beauty." he said grinning cheekily to me.
"Joey, why didn't you wake me up? I made you miss lunch and everything! Aren't you even hungry?"
"A little." he admitted and then shrugged. "but I didn't really mind. I think I might've fallen asleep for a while anyways and I didn't want to wake you." I sat up and rubbed my lower back.
"That's sweet but I wish you would've. Well I'm hungry now too, so let's not keep everyone waiting." I stood up pulling him with me. "I'm sure Tre's having a fit imagining what we could've been doing up here for five hours." I said pulling him out of his room as he laughed.
It was immediately obvious that the four adults had been talking about either me or me and Joey because Adrienne shushed them all as we approached the kitchen/dining room. I rounded the corner to the three men trying and failing to look like they'd be doing something un-interesting only a moment before.
"Hey Tori, Joey. What've you guys been up to?" asked Tre, his eyes sparkling with mock benevolence.
"Nothing." I said truthfully, (unless you count by mental breakdown).
"Oh is that what they call it these days! You know we're not as stupid as we look!" he said jokingly receiving a smile from Billie Joe and Mike.
"I'll disregard that. What have you been doing? Other than talking about what Joey and I have "potentially" been doing upstairs away from your ever watchful eye?" I asked and it was my turn to grin as the smile slid off of Tre's face, as well as Billie's and Mike's. Joey laughed as I continued. "We're not as stupid as we look either!" Tre's grin reappeared as he started laughing. I smiled and sat down next to Joey knowing the rest of the night would be light spirited, not to mention hilarious as all hell with Tre having something to joke about.
*After dinner*
I pushed away my plate and groaned: I had eaten WAY to much! I held my stomach as Joey finished his meal and laughed lightly at me. "Shut up!" I mumbled, rubbing my stomach.
"Eye's too big for your tummy there, Tori?" asked Tre, finishing off his fifth plate of food. I moaned again as my stomach lurched.
"Much to big, it was wonderful Adrienne." I added, trying to be polite. "thanks for letting me stay for dinner."
"No problem, hun. And please, call me Adie!" I nodded. Jakob started whining that he was tired then and Adie, dismissed herself to put him to bed. "I'll see you later Tori, it was good having you for dinner." She said as she carried Jake up the stairs.
"Thanks again Adie." I called and she waved a hand. Mike stretched and yawned as well.
"Aww shit man!" he said rubbing his eyes. "I think I'm gonna head out too man, I'm wasted! I'll see you guys tomorrow." He said and Billie nodded. He turned towards me. "See you soon Tori. Do you want a lift home?" he asked as he turned to leave. I shook my head.
'No I think I'm gonna walk, it's nice out so.." Billie, Tre, and Mike all opened their mouths to protest but Joey spoke up first.
"I'm walking with her. You know, so she doesn't get abducted or some shit." he said, Billie nodded and smiled as I waved good bye to him and Tre. We said good bye to Mike at his car and he honked his horn as he drove by.
The air was warm and refreshing on my bare arms. I sighed, happy to be outside walking off my dinner. I felt his arm wrap around me and he pulled me closer to him. I grinned into the dark, feeling happy for the first time in a long time. "I had a good time tonight, you know, since I wasn't being interrogated about my home life." I said. He laughed and I joined in, (our laughs really did sound good mingled together).
Before I knew it we were at the end of my shabby lawn. I stopped and pulled myself around so I could face him, my hands linked with his like when I kissed him earlier that day. "What you said earlier, when I was freaking out.. Did you mean it? Or was it spur of the moment?"
He answered almost immediately. "I meant it with my whole heart! I know we haven't known each other that long but.. I feel so good when I'm with you and just joking around. I don't know if you feel that same but I don't think I could lie to you even just to comfort you, you know?" He said, never breaking eye contact with me. I smiled at him and hugged him tight.
"I feel that way too Joey. I've been hurt before, and I don't mean by my dad. I don't think I could go through that pain and humiliation again!" I admitted as we broke apart. He stroked my chin tenderly and kissed me deeply on the lips.
"I could never hurt you! Never, Tori. I love you." He whispered against my cheek, sending shivers down my spine. I hugged him again and whispered good bye. He blew a kiss before blending into the shadows and I bit my lip. I paused at my doorway, and I thought I saw a shadow walking around the corner that could've been him. I giggled and sighed as I stepped through the door. The light clicked on as I stepped in, washing me in the harsh light.
He was drunk; I knew it before I even saw him. The air in the foyer and living room reeked of stale liquor mingled with cheap bear and potentially some pot as I turned the corner. There he was, sitting in all his white trash glory on the lazy boy like some kind of damn throne for drunken assholes. He stood up and tottered, almost falling, and started towards me. Before I could turn and try to get away, his huge hand wrapped around my hair and pulled me back, like the big guy had the day Joey had saved me. He growled into my ear. "Late again? Two nights in a row. You been whoring around or something?" His words slurred together and he sounded like some Neanderthal from the stone age. For the first time, I felt hatred overpower my fear of him. "Just like your mother you dirty little tramp!" He said and I felt shocked that he had even spoken about my mother. He threw me away like a rag doll and my thigh collided painfully with our coffee table.
I cried out in pain and tossed my hands out to break my fall. He shook the floor as he lumbered toward me and kicked me in the ass, sending me splaying on the carpet. I got to my knees and quickly to my feet before he could land another blow to my butt. I turned and felt red hot fury the sized of a small skillet lash across my face as he slapped me. My teeth punctured the soft tissue of my mouth and I felt the warm iron tasting blood flow from it. My already bruised eye was throbbing and I staggered slightly on my feet. Grabbing me roughly by the shoulders, he slammed me against the nearest wall. I felt the plaster behind my head crack and the headache I'd already had intensified by ten. I slid to the floor again and he turned around, taking another swig of vodka.
Only inched from my hand was and abandoned beer bottle, the glass kind. Without thinking or any he'sitation, I grabbed the bottle by the narrow neck, hiding it behind my back and waiting for the opportune moment to pass. As reliable as ever, the man I knew as my father grabbed me by the neck and lifted me right off the fucking ground. I felt lightheaded as the air left my lungs. Better do it before he kills me! I thought and lifted my arm above my head as the room swam in front of me.
If he hadn't been drunk, I'm sure his reflexes would have been fast enough to grab my arm and stop me. Thank goodness God had chosen to be kind to me today. I swung my arm down with all my might and brought the bottle across my own dad's head. It made dull thunk the first time and actually shattered when I brought it across his head the second time. He dropped me and then fell like a ton of lead. Only a moment to catch my breath and then he started moving again.
His hand groped feebly for my ankle as I ran by. I should've gone straight out the door but I turned and ran up the stairs instead. I wanted to grab my cell phone and Joeys number off of my bed stand. As I got to the top of the stairs I realized, terrified, he was already up and at the bottom of them, chasing me into a corner like a cat and mouse.
I remembered my door didn't have a lock as I closed it and decided my dressed would have to do. I pushed it as hard as I could, grunting with effort. It fell across the door and slammed it shut again just as my father had been opening it. I screamed and ran to my night stand. Grabbing my cell, that mercifully still had two bars of battery, and the slip of paper Billie Joe had written his phone number on. I screamed once more as my father beat on the door. The wood made a dull crack and splintered. He was yelling deliriously and I realized I had no choice; I'd have to jump out of my second story window, but that was better than being beaten to death, I guess.
I crossed the room in three big steps and yanked the window open, my adrenaline pumping strongly with the will to get out of this with minimal damage. Sticking one foot out the window, I heard the door splinter some more and gasped and a large chunk came out of it. My father's angry face appeared and disappeared as I jumped down. I heard my ankle gibe a sickening crunch as I landed and crumpled to the ground. I clutched it as my dad appeared at my window and howled with rage. He vanished and I got up as fast as I could hobbling in the only direction I knew would be safe; Billie Joe's house.
I cried with each step I took on my injured ankle but made it out of site as my dad opened the front door. I watched from the shadows as my dad got in the car and swerved down the road in the opposite direction. I cried with relief and got on my way again. About halfway there, in front of a relatively new jungle gym, I collapsed again.
I whimpered as I crawled to the slide and hid under it in case my dad decided to come this way. I pulled out my cell phone, which miraculously hadn't been crushed, and dialed in Joey's number.
It rang once; please pick up! Twice; please oh god PLEASE! Three Times then; "Hello?"
"Joey?" I asked.
"Yeah! Tori? What's wrong." he asked, sounding concerned. I sobbed into the phone.
"Can you come get me?"
